pin prick rash-not disapperaing when a glass is pressed on it

[j20baby]

on my friends little boy, he's not feverish or ill, i've said to ring NHS direct and he'll prob have to go to casualty. she thinks its prob a virus. anyone any experience?

If there's no risk at all how come they give vaccines out when there is aschool outbreak?

Ambulance or taxi dounds like a good idea

Oh bloody hell, achy legs is bad isn't it?
There but for the grace of God...

Makes you hug them a bit tighter doesn't it

My daughter has meningitis as a young baby - we were lucky enough to trust my instincts and get her to the hospital without delay. My husband was about to go to work and did not seem as concerned as I was - mothers instinct. She was not particularly ill just slightly hot and irratable when I picked her up. When I went to change her nappy though, she had small purply blotches on the soles of her feet. Luckily we live a few minutes from the hospital and when we got there I busrt into tears and thrust her at the doctor. They immediately knew all was not well and took her to have a lumbar pincture which confirmed what i already knew - she did have meningitis. She got much worse before she got better and spent 8 days in hospital having numerous intravenous antibiotics. It was heartbreaking.
At the time my other 2 children were 3 and 4 years of age. I was very worried about them too. However the doctor said it very, very unlikely they would be affected too and no treatment for them was given. My daughter did make a full recovery and she is now a happy, healthy 3 year old. Please trust your instincts.

lumbar puncture

Hope the lo is ok.

Wow - overtherainbow that's a terrifying and amazing story. I always assumed that they would have obvious symptoms of being v unwell ill if they had meningitis. Gosh...I hope the little boy is OK.

Desperately waiting for info, even dh keeps asking if there is any news. Will check in in the morning.

UPDATE i took them to A & E, the nurse said it is a meningitis rash but she didn't think he had meningitis. an hour later a doc looked at him and said he was fine, no tests or anything, but because he was boisterous and didn't seem ill, they thought he was ok to come home. they said it was maybe a virus or been playing rough and it was bruises. icould have punched the nurse that said it is the meningitis rash! for that split second the world just stopped. thanks for all your concerns, i've told her if he gets feverish or the rash gets worse to ring an ambulance.

overtherainbow, that must have been terrifying, my friend wasn't overly concerned, as she know her lo and he really didn't seem ill, but these things need checking, thank god you trusted your motherly instincts.

j20baby I am so, so pleased everything seems to have turned out fine. Things like this always make me fear the worst. Make sure you get some well earnt rest now. Your friend is very lucky to have your support - Well done!

Thanks OTR

So pleased the lo was ok.
Rashes and fevers are always a worry.
You were great to take your friend to A & E. better to be safe and sorry.

I took my 6 day old DS1 (3.5 yrs ago) to the baby clinic at adjoined to the maternity hospital as he had an awful rash thing all around his tummy button. When the nurse looked at him she told me it was bad and that he would have to be admitted to the special baby care unit and be out onto a drip blah blah..... I was in a state of panic. Then the Dr. arrived (also a skin specialist) and he prescribed me a cream for my baby and sent us on our way! No need for special medical attention!

I was relieved to say the least but later on I felt angry that 1 person could throw me into such panic by giving us the wrong information.

Anyway, will stop babbling. So glad lo is ok.

That's really good news! So glad the lo was OK.

glad it was good news and it was the right thing to get it checked out

thanks everyone, he's still got the rash but is fine, apparantly its some type of friction burn, i did think last night, i hope he hasn't been playing with felt tips and dotted on himself, that would have been, erm, interesting.

So pleased to hear that all is well, dh will be pleased to when I tell him, we've been out for the day and busy but I've been thinking about him all day!

What kind of help is that 'it is a meningitis rash but I don't think he's got meningitis'? Guess it's not a meningitis rash then???!!! Not helpful and not clever.

J2O.

It sounds very similar to something DD3 had a few months ago. GP put that down to her sisters being a bit boistrous - but he too said it was the 'classic meninigitis type rash'.

The rash is caused by tiny bleeds under the skin (like tiny bruises) so it will take a week or 2 to disappear completely. DD3s also seemed to become more prominant in the heat.

Glad this was the outcome and it is nothing serious. TBH I knew DD3 wasn't ill enough to have meningitis but with the rash you do stop and think and take it seriously and even though I knew she wasn't ill I think I still ran on pure adrenaline for 3 days.

3Donut

"meninitis type rash" or "petechie rash" would certainly have been a more accurate description. But at the end of the day meningitis isn't the only cause of this type of rash - but it is the most serious and will be the first thing to diagnose/rule out.

Thanks for the info spider, at least i know what it is now for future reference, scary though.

3D-thanks for thinking of him and your dh too

J20baby - So glad it wasn't nothing serious, what a relief for everyone

SlightlyMadSpider - yes this is what my DD gets a lot. Her skin reacts to all sorts, particularly heat, and if she scratches a heat rash petichae often come up, but disappear within a day or two.

Freaks me out every time though.